Gerrymandering under pressure

Thanks to the North Carolina case, partisan gerrymandering's day of reckoning may soon be upon us [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 12 January 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Is it nearly the end of an era? A federal panel of judges threw out North Carolina’s district map this week for unconstitutional gerrymandering. The decision signals a [potential shift for elections across the U.S.](, says Penn State’s Christopher Beem. Two cases before the Supreme Court this term directly confront partisan gerrymandering – and pressure is mounting for the court to issue clear guidelines. Residents in the eastern U.S. are recovering from a particularly long bout of frigid weather. Paradoxically, as atmospheric scientist Jennifer Francis explains, [warming in the Arctic may contribute to these types of cold snaps in North America](. Plus, two years before the #MeToo campaign, Brazilian women began spotlighting sexism with hashtags that translate to #MyFirstHarassment and #MyDearTeacher. Scholars Alvaro Jarrin and Kia Lilly Caldwell examine how black activists have seized on this feminist resurgence to fight [particular issues facing women of color]( in Brazil, from bad health care to racism in cosmetic surgery. Aviva Rutkin Big Data + Applied Mathematics Editor Top stories The word ‘gerrymandering’ comes from the name of Elbridge Gerry, Massachusetts governor in the 1800s. AP Photo/Elise Amendola [Thanks to the North Carolina case, partisan gerrymandering's day of reckoning may soon be upon us]( Christopher Beem, Pennsylvania State University Judges in North Carolina just threw out the state's congressional district map. The decision could have major implications for the future of partisan gerrymandering across the US. Seriously cold: The ‘bomb cyclone’ freezes a fountain in New York City. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan [Is warming in the Arctic behind this year's crazy winter weather?]( Jennifer Francis, Rutgers University An atmospheric scientist who studies the Arctic explains why – because of global warming – the U.S. may be in for longer cold spells in the winter. Intersectionality in action: Brazilian women are organizing across class and race lines to decry inequality in a country that remains deeply ‘machista.’ Naco Doce/Reuters [Beyond #MeToo, Brazilian women rise up against racism and sexism]( Alvaro Jarrin, College of the Holy Cross; Kia Lilly Caldwell, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Before #MeToo, Brazilian women launched #MyFirstHarrassment and marched for racial equality. Today, this feminist resurgence is tackling health care, plastic surgery, violence and more. Health + Medicine - [What Jeff Sessions doesn't understand about medical marijuana]( C. 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